The Journal

Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Max Gersh Webster Junior Forward Kyle Regan pushes Westminster's Andy Chambers out of bounds Oct. 24. No penalty was called on the play, which was just one incident in an unusually violent 2007 season. The Gorloks lost to Westminster 2-1 to end their conference season.

Media Credit: Jamie Ford Forward Gorlok Breanna Cashel fights for control of the ball against Westminster defender Kristin Keilholz during the Oct. 24 game. The Gorloks won 5-1.

WOMEN

After knocking off Westminster College Oct. 24 in a 5-1 victory at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, the Webster University women's soccer team has clinched its seventh St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in the last nine years.

The 7-1 Gorloks, who are 15-4 overall, sit atop the leader board in a three-way split for first place with Principia College and Maryville University. WU will now host the SLIAC post-season tournament, which begins Nov. 1 at the Anheuser Busch Soccer Park.

Junior midfielder Kelly Strecker got things going for WU early against Westminster as she capitalized on a ball from freshman midfielder Christy Capkovic in the 19th minute to give the Gorloks a 1-0 lead over the Blue Jays. WU scored again in the final minutes of the first half on a breakaway to the far post by junior forward Breanna Cashel, assisted by freshman defender Rashonda Stanley.

WU opened the second half with a blast from the left wing into the far post by sophomore forward Kelsey McClure on a ball from sophomore midfielder Jenna Steiner. Steiner netted a goal herself three minutes later, unassisted, on a shot that went through the Westminster keeper's hands and put the Gorloks up 4-0.

The Blue Jays scored with a header in the 58th minute off of a cross that narrowed the gap 4-1, but the Gorloks answered back in the 76th minute as Cashel scored from just inside the 18, assisted by senior forward Ashley Moore.

Although the win clinches the SLIAC title, the Gorloks were dealt a loss Oct. 29 at Principia College in a non-conference match. Freshman forward Megan Neiderschulte netted WU's only goal in the 19th minute, but the Gorloks were unable to finish successfully and dropped the game 2-1.

With the highly successful 2007 regular season officially at a close, the Gorloks now look to the SLIAC tournament beginning Nov. 1 at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park. The first game will be at 7 p.m. against the fourth seed Greenville Panthers. Admission to the game is $5 for adults and $2 for students and children under the age of 16.

MEN

What began as a season that held so much promise for Head Coach Marty Todt and the WU men's soccer team has ended in bitter disappointment. The emotional rollercoaster that was the 2007 season, the 20th under Todt's command, closed out after four straight losses in the last four games of the regular season, dashing any hopes of the SLIAC postseason tournament.

The series of losses knocks WU into fifth place in the SLIAC standings, and out of contention for post-season play. The Gorloks end their season with a 5-4 conference record, and are 8-10-1 overall.

Following the disappointing 2-0 loss to the University of Dallas Oct. 20 at the Anheuser Busch Soccer Park, the Gorloks had a chance to break out of the middle of the pack Oct. 24 in another home game against the Westminster Blue Jays. However, WU was unable to regain their composure and dropped the game 2-1 in double overtime, despite out-shooting the Jays 25-15.

The Blue Jays scored early in the first half from a header off of a dead ball giving them an early 1-0 lead. The Gorloks were able to answer back that same half as junior forward Kyle Regan connected with junior forward Kevin Fann, who dumped the ball off to senior midfielder Tom Riti on the wing. Riti was able to capitalize off of the pass, scoring to the far post and evening the score at one apiece.

The 1-1 score would hold through the second half and the first overtime, but the final blow was dealt in the 101st minute as Westminster scored from the left wing ending the game in a bitter 2-1 defeat.

Webster's woeful final home stand concluded Oct. 25 in a 1-0 loss to Illinois Wesleyan University. The Gorloks battled hard, holding the Titans to a scoreless game through the first half and much of the second, but gave up a tough goal off of a corner kick in the 72nd minute. That loss dropped Webster below the .500 mark for the first time since Sept. 13.

Things went from bad to worse for the Gorloks as they dropped their final game of the season 1-0 at Principia College Oct. 29. Webster gave up an early goal off of a free kick in the first five minutes of the match, and was unable to answer back in the following 85 minutes.

The ending whistle marked the end of the 2007 season, and Todt must now look to next year for a chance to put Webster back on top of the SLIAC leader board.

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